Venezuelan govt captures generals its claims were attempting coup

In Venezuela, there is at times sporadic violence between government forces, opposition protestors and extremist elements. Now, in an address broadcast on state television, president Nicolas Maduro has accused unnamed generals of attempting to seize power. Human rights groups are warning the situation could quickly pass into armed conflict.

Transcript

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MARK COLVIN: The Venezuelan government says it has captured three air force generals it claims were attempting a coup.

It's not clear what that means - Venezuela's socialist government currently refers to all of the nationwide public protests as a "continuing coup" against the state.

Venezuela is wracked by high inflation and shortages of basic foods, and so far, 36 people have been killed in continuing clashes.

Human rights groups are warning that the situation could quickly pass into "armed conflict" if extreme elements are not contained.

North America correspondent Michael Vincent reports.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Venezuela is in turmoil. People line up at shops for food, they line up at banks for US dollars, and they fear the high levels of crime.

Then there's the sporadic violence between government forces and opposition protestors as well as extremist elements each side accuses the other of fostering.

Now in an address broadcast on state television, president Nicolas Maduro has accused unnamed generals of attempting to seize power, and he says they knows this because younger officers denounced them.

(Nicolas Maduro speaking in Spanish)

"We captured three air force generals", he says, "that we were investigating thanks to the powerful morals of our Bolivarian National Armed Forces. Three generals who intended to raise the air force against the legitimate, constitutional government. They are now all under the orders of the military court."

No further details were released.

Before today, Human Rights Watch had warned "there are no democratic institutions capable of curbing the abuse of power in Venezuela".

The international crisis group has observed that the current crisis "has passed very quickly from a violent political fight that if the extremes aren't contained will result in an armed conflict".

Nicolas Maduro appears unfazed. He has called on fellow members of the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, to help him get to the bottom of the chaos in his country.

(Nicolas Maduro speaking in Spanish)

"We are formally soliciting the support of UNASUR", he says, "to shape a truth commission that the National Assembly has created. You know that one week ago, the parliament approved the creation of a truth commission to investigate all the events of this continuing coup and to establish the truth of each one of these acts of violence."

And so it appears there will be no attempt at reconciling this country that was split in last year's presidential election almost 50-50.

Nicolas Maduro won by 0.6 per cent from his conservative rival. But supporters like Ernesto Leon say the country has moved on; that the municipal elections this year delivered the Partido Socialista Unido De Venezuela about 80 per cent of all districts.

ERNESTO LEON: This is a real, real demonstration that we in Venezuela, we have a majority - more than 79 per cent around the government.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Ernesto Leon is a self-declared militant and an American-based member of the PSUV (Partido Socialista Unido De Venezuela). He believes in the Bolivarian Revolution begun by the late Hugo Chavez when he came to power in 1999; that even after 15 years, he says the revolution needs more time.

ERNESTO LEON: Revolutions are not easy processes. They take time. I mean, Cuba is having 50 years of revolution and they are still working very hard for changing the idea of the political system, the economical system, social system, and I think what is happening in Venezuela right now is part of the process that is normal in any revolution.

MICHAEL VINCENT: When you talk about revolution, and say for example, you give the example of Cuba: Cuba is now turning back to markets, to a form of capitalism at a very micro level.

ERNESTO LEON: Well, I think that what we're doing in Venezuela right now is something new and different, and very different. Each year, we are making experiments. That's why we are trying to understand what is socialism of the 21st century. In a country like Venezuela, you have health, education; you have so many things that in a normal country you have to pay that service - (inaudible) so many things.

So this is part of the new idea of the socialism in Venezuela.

MICHAEL VINCENT: While the Maduro government begins its search for the truth, parts of the capital Caracas have been left without power for 12 hours.

Key power lines were brought down by a forest fire. Arson is suspected.